This invention relates to method and strip for sealing and formation of a sealable groove in a body of settable material.
In concrete construction work, for example, it is frequently necessary to seal gaps between adjacent surfaces, such as opposed surfaces of a groove. Pre-formed sealing strips may be employed for this purpose. A particularly satisfactory material is expanding cork material such as that sold under the registered trade mark SPANDEX. This material when inserted into a groove will, over time, expand to firmly press against the opposed sides of the groove to provide an effective seal.
While the use of sealing strips as above described is convenient and effective where grooves are of standard configuration, such as having planar opposed parallel surfaces, such that strips of standard complimentary configuration can be readily formed, difficulties may arise where it is desired to seal between opposed surfaces which are not so formed. This may arise, for example where one of two opposed surfaces is irregular. This situation arises particularly where grooves formed in concrete or the like are subjected to erosion such as may occur over a period of service where the concrete work is exposed to the elements, and where it becomes necessary to replace a pre-existing seal. In these cases, where one of the opposed surfaces is linear the sealing strip may be introduced against that surface and any gap as between an opposite irregular surface and the adjacent surface of the sealing strip filled with a fluid settable composition such as cement. In these cases, however, the introduction of the cement filler, which needs to be downwardly compacted, tends to result in the filler passing to the bottom of the groove. It may therefore accumulate at the bottom of the groove and tend to cause the sealing strip to dislodge from the bottom of the groove, or pass the bottom of the sealing strip and be lost if the surfaces to be sealed do not have a base connecting surface. Also, cement filler may bridge the gap which in most instances is formed below the groove by adjacent slabs of concrete between which the groove is formed. This bridging is undesirable because it will then interfere with natural movement of the slaps towards each other, possibly inducing spalling of edges of the slab, directly or indirectly reducing the efficiency of sealing performed by the sealing strip.